A reader said she had three teen/pre-teens that "forget" to pack their lunches or pack too much junk. I applaud her teaching responsibility by having them pack their own lunches. My kids were packing their lunches in elementary school and I know my friends and I all packed our lunches at that age. Lunches are Read More

Chores with kids needs to change through the years. I used many different charts and systems to keep things fresh. If I am getting bored with how we do chores, I know the kids are. Here is one of the chore charts from when they were in high school Chore Chart Excel File We would Read More

Question #10 asked you, "What Relationships Do You Want to Nurture?" Now how do you fit relationships in an already packed day? The first thing to do is realize they are more important. It’s more important to talk with a friend who is going through a hard time than to do the laundry. Of course Read More

"Mummy, look at me!" "Mummy, look at me!" I was swimming at a pool in Charlotte after having a wonderful weekend with Marcia and two other moms I met. There was only a little girl of about 4 or 5 and her mom with me. The English mum was playing on her phone in a Read More

What if you are trying to set boundaries with someone and it doesn’t take? Let’s say your mom just drops by all the time without calling. One of the reason you may have stress is because, even though your mom never shares her plans, you have the expectation that she should. So not only are Read More

I had a reader ask how to clean house with a toddler around. Even the most organized gets frustrated during this time period. This is what I wrote: Life with a toddler of that age is messy and chaotic. You most likely won’t have a completely clean house unless you sacrifice lots of time with Read More

I believe one of the best ways to get to the core of what’s important to you and to travel the road towards simplicity is to ask the right questions. So I am starting a series called Moving Towards Simplicity. You can answer these questions in your journal, in the comments below or at the Read More

I just found out that an older lady I know, who is extremely smart and I’ve always looked up to, can’t cook. And she serves canned vegetables. I was delighted. Now she is more accessible to me. And the camaraderie. I cook simple food, because I am not talented in the kitchen. I love the Read More

As an introvert, I can go for months before I realize I haven’t connected with a friend or family member. Grandma has been known to say, "I can never get a hold of you." So now in my calendar I have times to call my Mom, Grandma and Sister so I connect regularly. I also Read More